Your growing baby’s development in week 31

Help your growing baby develop in the thirty-first week of your pregnancy

Keep supporting your growing baby’s brain development.

What’s happening this week?

All systems in his or her body are getting ready. This includes the digestive system so that he or she can get nourishment and the central nervous systemi to regulate body temperature.

Your growing baby is also making trillions of brain connections.ii This helps him or her process the sensory experiences, such as sensing bright light, or reacting to the sounds he or she hears.

Weighing more than three pounds (1.5 kilograms) now, your growing baby measures about 16 inches (41 centimeters) from head to toe.iii

What can you expect?

By now, you have an impressive baby bump. You may often feel breathless as your growing uterus pushes your lungs upwards.iv By exercising regularly, you can feel more comfortable. This is because you’re less likely to be breathless if you’re keeping fit and having a healthy weight gain. Remember to consult your doctor before doing any exercises during your pregnancy.

What can you do to support your pregnancy?

Continue to include iron-rich foods such as spinach, lentils, poultry and meat to your meals. This may not just help prevent iron deficiency anemia which may cause you to feel lethargicv, but will also support your growing baby’s development.

Nurture your growing baby’s continuing brain development (remember, trillions of connections!) with adequate DHA and other foods rich in nutrients like zinc, choline and folatevi.

Meanwhile, it helps to weigh yourself daily or weekly during your pregnancy, so you can keep abreast of your weight gain.

By now, you may have started decorating the room and getting clothes ready for him or her and even thinking of names. All this is done with love, which him or her is believed to be able to sensevii in the safe confines of your womb.